A Complete Guide to Praslin, Seychelles

If you read our Seychelles honeymoon travel guide, you know that Praslin was one of our favourite spots.

We spent most of the time on this island and for good reason.

The second largest island in the Seychelles is one of the most popular, providing the perfect balance between action, beauty and comfort. Quieter than Mahé but more developed than La Digue, it is the ideal sweet spot.

Here is our travel guide to Praslin, a true heaven on earth and one of the most beautiful islands in the Seychelles.

LOCATION

• Second-largest island of the Seychelles, about 44km northeast of Mahé

KEY HIGHLIGHTS

• Anse Georgette, Anse Lazio, Vallée de Mai Nature Reserve

BEST TIME TO GO

• April, May and October are the best months balancing sunny days, calm waters, excellent snorkelling visibility and limited crowds
• June – August for sunny but windier conditions

HOW LONG TO STAY

• 4-5 days. Longer if also including La Digue as day trip

WHERE TO STAY

• Anse Volbert area for multitude of accommodations, restaurants, lively beach area and easy access to day trips
• Raffles or Constance Lemuria close to Anse Lazio and Anse Georgette if preferring luxury resorts

WILDLIFE & NATURE

• Home to unique Coco de Mer palm
• Habitat of elusive black parrot
• Giant Aldabra tortoises in the “wild” at nearby Curieuse island

PROS

• Best for island-hopping with easy access to La Digue and other smaller islands (e.g. Curieuse, Cousin, St. Pierre, Aride)
• Unique Coco de Mer palm forest at Vallée de Mai (UNESCO World Heritage Site) and Fond Ferdinand
• Iconic world-class beaches (Anse Lazio, Anse Georgette, Anse Kerlan)
• Perfect balance between activities and relaxation in world-class resorts

CONS

• Fewer cultural experiences or hiking opportunities compared to Mahé
• Could attract more seaweed in certain beaches (season dependent)

Before putting this Seychelles travel guide together, we kept coming back to one key question. With 115 islands in the archipelago, why focus on Praslin?

First things first: don’t limit yourself to just one island. Sticking only to Praslin means missing out on some of the destination’s other breathtaking gems.

That said, Praslin still stands out for a reason – it comes with some undeniable advantages that make it hard to beat.

Amazing beaches are a common constant in the Seychelles. But it is fair to say that Praslin is a real magnet for beach bunnies and water babies, having some of the bests in the archipelago.

Anse Lazio (and adjacent Petite Anse Lazio) is an absolute must-see with its amazing turquoise water, white sand, scattered granite boulders and native Takamaka trees framing the shore. Often ranked among the top beaches in the world, it was surprisingly not that crowded when we visited. Go there early though, as the high tide could eat-up a good chunk of the beach.

Anse Georgette was even more stunning to us, and staying inside the Constance Lemuria we had direct access to it. Underrated Anse Kerlan in the Lemuria is also a hidden gem, often completely empty but not any less beautiful.

Stretching along Praslin’s coast, Anse Volbert is the island’s longest beach, known for its calm, shallow waters and seaweed-free shores from April to September. With plenty of accommodation options and easy access to amenities, it’s a great pick for families (though shade can be limited in places) and a convenient, well-developed base for any type of traveller. As far as beauty is concerned, this is not in the same league of the ones above though.

Plenty more beaches are within easy reach if you explore by car, including the tranquil Anse Possession and the tucked-away gems of Anse Takamaka and Anse Boudin.

If travelling between May-October, avoid the west coast beaches (e.g. Grand Anse) as they are normally full of seaweed.

Take a break from beaches and explore the emerald heart of Praslin. What makes this island unique, is a place that captured the human imagination for centuries – the mysterious Vallée de Mai Nature Reserve.

Designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the reserve stands in an almost untouched, primordial state, stirring echoes of a lost Garden of Eden.

As you follow the marked trail, you’ll encounter such a rich variety of endemic plants that it feels less like a wild forest and more like wandering through a living botanical garden. What stands-out is the legendary Coco de Mer palm (only native to Praslin and nearby Curieuse island), with its unique and bizarre (to say the least) seeds, that are impossible to miss. To put it lightly, this is easily the sexiest plant we have ever seen…

The trail leads you uphill for a sweeping panorama of the surrounding forest, and the Indian Ocean unfolding in the distance.

You can buy your ticket (SCR 450) on site and it’s best to go early in the morning and get a guide. This way you’ll appreciate the endemic flora and fauna (e.g. the Seychelles black parrot), that might otherwise go unseen.

If there is one drawback to the Vallée de Mai, is that it is not left unnoticed.

For the contrarian and lovers of authenticity, Fond Ferdinand offers a cheaper, bigger and less crowded experience. It hosts an even higher quantity of Coco de Mer trees (although less concentrated), and spectacular viewpoints at the top.

Prepare to sweat more though as the terrain is much steeper and less shady.

Both are great to be honest. Fond Ferdinand offers a more authentic feel and better views, while Vallée de Mai is more garden-like and steeped in legend.

One of the key advantages of Praslin is its proximity to other nearby islands.

Join a tour, or hop to a water taxi from Anse Volbert and visit the stunning Curieuse Island.

Apart from the Coco de Mer, Curieuse is also a sanctuary for the giant Aldabra tortoises, reintroduced in the 70s as part of a Conservation Program, and which now roam freely around the island! To see these gentle giants in their natural environment is really something special!

Starting from Turtle Pond, you can take the path inland through the mangrove swamp to reach the stunning Anse St. Jose, while the more intrepid traveller will enjoy a trek through the island to reach the wild Anse Badamier.

Most of Curieuse tours also include a trip to St. Pierre, a picturesque snorkelling hotspot just off Anse Volbert. The snorkelling could be hit and miss to be honest, but the island and scenery is undeniably beautiful and worth visiting.

Beyond St. Pierre, Praslin has plenty of snorkelling spots, and we took every chance to dive in. One highlight was around Anse Lazio’s granite boulders, with tropical fish, small reef sharks, and even a hawksbill turtle!

La Digue is where the Seychelles becomes surreal. Imagine giant granite boulders sculptured like art dotted in the midst of tropical vegetation, overlooking topaz-hued waters and flour-like sand. The beaches of Anse Source d’Argent, Grand Anse, Petite Anse and Anse Coco take the spotlight, but there are tons worth exploring, most of them completely isolated.

La Digue is easily accessible by ferry (15 min) from Praslin harbour, making it a convenient day trip. We visited La Digue in a single day, and covered the main highlights. Whether that’s enough to satisfy our craving for the quintessential Seychelles island, is another story.

Praslin’s charm lies in its perfect balance of pristine nature, must-do experiences, and high-quality accommodations.

On the latter, we personally loved our stay at the Constance Lemuria.

Tucked away on the north-west corner of Praslin, it casts her gaze over two of the best beaches in Praslin (Anse Georgette and Anse Kerlan) making it a top choice to have the best of the best at your doorstep. The resort is designed to be in harmony with Praslin natural beauty, often blending discretely with the surrounding environment. Apart from the top location, we also loved the quality of the accommodation, the large offering of restaurants, and the excellent attention to details.

If you can afford to splurge even more, Raffles is the top resort on the island with its scenic hillside location looking over Curieuse.

Otherwise, the island offers multiple other type of accommodations for different budgets, especially around the Anse Volbert area.

Less than 7,000 people live in Praslin, mostly around the villages of Grand Anse, Baie Ste Anne and Anse Volbert.

Far from being proper “towns”, these are rather an ensemble of Creole houses with small eateries and local convenience shops.

To be honest, they are not the main highlight on a typical Seychelles bucket list. If you’re island hopping, we would rather visit Victoria (Mahé) for an urban fix, or immerse in the local culture by staying on La Digue.

Having said that, it is worth spending a couple of hours having lunch in some of the local restaurants, especially in Anse Volbert given its close proximity to the beach.

La Goulue offers authentic Creole dishes in a relaxed atmosphere. Café Des Arts is another excellent option set right on the beach, and Les Lauriers is a trendy place featuring a beautiful and modern design, while maintaining a classic “island” vibe.

Set aside at least 4-5 days to truly experience Praslin.

This island strikes perhaps the best balance between luxury, relaxation, and adventure, making it essential to linger a little longer.

Here’s a sample itinerary (based closely on our own trip), crafted to mix exploration with plenty of downtime.

• Arrive via ferry from Mahé or flight from Seychelles International Airport
• Check-in at Constance Lemuria (high-end option) or suitable hotel near Anse Volbert
• Relax and stop at nearby beaches (Petite Anse Kerlan and Anse Kerlan if staying at Lemuria or Côte d’Or Beach by Anse Volbert)
• Dinner at resort or at local restaurant by the beach

• Swim and relax at Anse Georgette (easy option if staying at Lemuria as the beach is located inside the resort)
• For the active characters, there is also a hiking trail (about 4km) connecting Anse Georgette and Anse Lazio
• Afternoon Spa (if staying at the resort)

• Visit Vallée de Mai Nature Reserve in the morning, for the famous Coco de Mer and the elusive Seychelles black parrot
• Lunch at restaurant (e.g. Café Des Arts) in Anse Volbert
• Drive to Anse Lazio with intermediate stop at Anse Possession
• Swim and snorkel at Anse Lazio

•  Day trip to Curieuse, watching Aldabra giant tortoises, walking through mangrove forest and swimming in stunning Anse St. Jose
• Snorkel at St. Pierre islet
• Relax and dinner along Côte d’Or

• Relax and swim at nearby beach (depending on where you stay)
• Ferry or flight back to Mahé

Also, if you head to La Digue, you can take a direct ferry from Praslin making the journey very convenient. La Digue is the definitive island in the Seychelles, and we’d highly recommend staying for a few days at least. That said, if you’re short on time and can only manage a day trip, you could either (i) add an extra day to the itinerary above, or (ii) swap it with Day 4.

The Seychelles sit just above the equator so it’s warm year round. However, rain (often passing showers) could happen, irrespective of when you go and you’ll see that by how lush they are.

On paper, the perfect months are April, May and October. They offer the perfect balance of sunny days, calm seas, excellent snorkelling visibility, fewer tourists and manageable humidity.

Historically, the driest period has been June to August but this is also when the islands are windier. It doesn’t have much impact on Anse Volbert or the beaches along the East Coast, but Anse Lazio and Anse Georgette are likely to be a bit wavier. Also, avoid the West Coast area (Grand Anse) at this time, because it is likely to be full of seaweed.

December–February is peak rainy season (you might find great deals…), although weather has become increasingly unpredictable.

We went there between May-June and loved it, with no rain (except passing night showers) and a gentle breeze.

Once you land in Mahé, you can get to Praslin (75min) by ferry which here is called Cat Coco.

The one-way cost is between 60 – 80 Euros (depending on Economy vs Business) to get to Praslin plus 10 Euros for the shuttle from the Airport to the Jetty.

You can also fly to Praslin, which is great if you get seasick and want to minimise transfer time. Consider that once you land in Mahè, you already are in the airport ready to hop on the domestic flight, while to take a boat you need to factor the extra time and hassle to reach the jetty. You can reserve your flight with Air Seychelles.

Views when flying from Mahé to Praslin

Praslin is a relatively small island but it is still far too large to explore it by foot.

Renting a car is the most flexible way to get around, especially for a day or two when you want to explore the island more thoroughly. You can arrange this directly your hotel, and you can factor about 50 euros / day as daily fare.

There is a almost circular ring road which disconnects at the northern tip of the island (making quite inconvenient to visit Anse Georgette from Anse Lazio or vice versa), and it takes almost one hour driving end to end.

If you don’t drive, you can use taxis (which may end up being more expensive) or their local buses, which are not particularly reliable. Consider that reaching Anse Lazio by bus could also be quite inconvenient, given the additional long and challenging walk involved.

Some hotels offer bikes for getting around, which works for short trips but isn’t practical for exploring the entire island. Keep in mind that some roads are almost vertical. Steep enough that even local buses struggle, so cycling them is nothing short of heroic.

Further readings on the Seychelles

• Seychelles Honeymoon: The Ultimate Two-Week Itinerary
• Denis Private Island: Ultimate Seclusion in the Seychelles